Apparatus and method for brewing and cooling a beverage

ABSTRACT

All integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage and a method for brewing and cooling a beverage. The integrated apparatus includes a hot water supply subsystem that heats water to form hot water, a brewing subsystem that mixes the hot water with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage, and a cooling subsystem that receives and cools the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage. The cooling subsystem discharges the cooled beverage to a freezing subsystem where it can be frozen into ice.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/331,250, filed May 3, 2016, the entirety ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus forbrewing and cooling a beverage, and more specifically to a method andapparatus for making coffee ice cubes from brewed coffee.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, coffee shops serve many different types of iced coffee beverages.This is generally achieved by pouring hot coffee into a cup that is prefilled with ice cubes or pouring ice cubes into a cup that is pre-filledwith hot coffee. However, this solution results in the iced coffeeproduct being diluted, thereby negatively affecting the flavor and tasteof the iced coffee beverage. A current option for the coffee shop toavoid dilution of its iced coffee products is to brew coffee, manuallypour the brewed coffee into an ice cube tray, and then place the loadedice cube tray into a freezer for freezing. However, this is a timeconsuming process and if the coffee shop employee forgets to initiatethe process, the coffee shop will be left without any available coffeeice cubes. Thus, a need exists for a solution to the above-notedproblem.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an integrated apparatus for brewingand cooling a beverage and a method for brewing and cooling a beverage.The integrated apparatus includes a hot water supply subsystem thatheats water to form hot water, a brewing subsystem that mixes the hotwater with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage, and a coolingsubsystem that receives and cools the hot beverage to form a cooledbeverage. The cooling subsystem discharges the cooled beverage to a coolbeverage reservoir where it can later be frozen into ice.

In one embodiment, the invention may be an integrated apparatus forbrewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatus comprising: ahot water supply subsystem configured to heat water to form hot water; abrewing system configured to receive and mix the hot water generated bythe hot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive to form a hotbeverage; a cooling subsystem configured to receive the hot beveragegenerated by the brewing sub-system, cool the hot beverage to form acooled beverage, and discharge the cooled beverage to a cool beveragereservoir of a freezing subsystem; and wherein liquid flow of the hotwater, the hot beverage, and the cooled beverage along a primarybeverage processing flow path from the hot water supply subsystem to thecool beverage reservoir of the freezing subsystem is gravity driven.

In another embodiment, the invention may be an integrated apparatus forbrewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatus comprising: ahot water supply subsystem configured to heat water to form hot water,the hot water supply system comprising a hot water outlet at a firstelevation; a brewing subsystem configured to receive and mix the hotwater generated by the hot water supply subsystem with a beverageadditive to form a hot beverage, the brewing subsystem comprising a hotwater inlet at a second elevation that is less than the first elevation,and a hot beverage outlet that is at a third elevation that is less thanthe second elevation; a cooling subsystem configured to receive the hotbeverage generated by the brewing sub-system and cool the hot beverageto form a cooled beverage, the cooling subsystem comprising a hotbeverage inlet located at a fourth elevation that is less than the thirdelevation, and cooled beverage outlet that is located a fifth elevationthat is less than the fourth elevation.

In still another embodiment, the invention may be an integratedapparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatuscomprising: a first housing enclosing: a hot water supply subsystem; abrewing subsystem configured to receive and mix hot water generated bythe hot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive to form a hotbeverage; a cooling subsystem configured to receive the hot beveragegenerated by the brewing sub-system and cool the hot beverage to form acooled beverage, and a second housing, the first housing positioned atopthe second housing, the second housing enclosing: a freezing subsystemconfigured to freeze the cooled beverage generated by the coolingsubsystem to form a frozen beverage and discharge the frozen beverage asa plurality of frozen beverage cubes.

In yet another embodiment, the invention may be a method of brewing andcooling a beverage comprising: a) heating water in a first portion of abeverage processing flow path to form hot water; b) gravity flowing thehot water generated in the first portion of the beverage processing flowpath through a second portion of the beverage processing flow path, andintroducing an additive into the hot water while the hot water isflowing through the second portion of the beverage processing flow path,thereby forming a hot beverage; c) gravity flowing the hot beverage fromthe second portion of the beverage processing flow path into a thirdportion of the beverage processing flow path, and cooling the hotbeverage while in the third portion of the beverage processing flowpath, thereby forming a cooled beverage; and d) gravity flowing thecooled beverage from the third portion of the beverage processing flowpath into a freezing subsystem.

In a further embodiment, the invention may be an integrated apparatusfor brewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatus comprising:a hot water supply subsystem configured to heat water to form hot water;a brewing subsystem configured to receive and mix the hot watergenerated by the hot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive toform a hot beverage; a heat exchanger configured to receive the hotbeverage generated by the brewing sub-system and cool the hot beverageto form a cooled beverage; and an air flow generator configured togenerate a cooling air flow across the outer surfaces of the heatexchanger.

In a still further embodiment, the invention may be an integratedapparatus for brewing and cooling, a beverage, the integrated apparatuscomprising: a first housing: a hot water supply subsystem located withinthe first housing and configured to heat water to form hot water; abrewing subsystem located within the first housing and configured toreceive and mix the hot water generated by the hot water supplysubsystem with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage, the brewingsubsystem located below the hot water supply subsystem; and a coolingsubsystem located within the first housing and configured to receive thehot beverage generated by the brewing sub-system, cool the hot beverageto form a cooled beverage, and discharge the cooled beverage to a coolbeverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem, the cooling subsystemlocated below the brewing subsystem.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fluid circuit schematic of an integrated apparatus forbrewing and cooling a beverage in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an integrated apparatus forbrewing and cooling a beverage in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention, the integrated apparatus including a first housingpositioned atop a second housing;

FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away front perspective view of the integratedapparatus of FIG. 2 illustrating the subsystems and components enclosedwithin both of the first and second housings;

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away rear perspective view of the integratedapparatus of FIG. 2 illustrating the subsystems and components enclosedwithin both of the first and second housings;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the first housing of theintegrated apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the first housing of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the first housing of FIG. 5 with a cover of awater tank in an open position;

FIG. 8A is a close-up view of area VIII of FIG. 2 illustrating a controlpanel on the first housing with a mixing apparatus positioned in abrewing chamber;

FIG. 8B is the close-up view of FIG. 8A with the mixing apparatusremoved from the brewing chamber;

FIG. 9 is a partially cut-away view of the first housing of FIG. 2 inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a partially cut-away view of the first housing of FIG. 2 inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is the partially cut-away view of FIG. 9 with a top portion of aheat exchanger removed;

FIG. 12 is the partially cut-away view of FIG. 11 with the top of theheat exchanger removed in accordance with an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 12 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a partially cut-away view of the second housing of theintegrated apparatus of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles ofthe present invention is intended to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entirewritten description. In the description of embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merelyintended for convenience of description and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as“lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,”“down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g.,“horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed torefer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawingunder discussion. These relative terms are for convenience ofdescription only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed oroperated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated assuch. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,”“interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structuresare secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectlythrough intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigidattachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated byreference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the inventionexpressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodimentsillustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that mayexist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of theinvention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 concurrently, an integrated apparatus for brewingand cooling a beverage (hereinafter “the integrated apparatus”) 100 willbe described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1 illustrates a fluid flow and circuit schematic 500 of theintegrated apparatus 100, FIG. 2 illustrates an exterior of theintegrated apparatus 100, and FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate partial cut-awayviews of the integrated apparatus 100 (with panels of the housing of theintegrated apparatus 100 removed) so that the internal components arevisible. In general terms, the integrated brewing and cooling apparatus100 is configured to brew a hot beverage, cool the hot beverage toapproximately room temperature thereby forming a cooled beverage, andthen freeze the cooled beverage to form a frozen beverage that can bedischarged as a plurality of frozen beverage cubes. In certainembodiments, the beverage is coffee, although the invention is not to beso limited in all embodiments and it is possible that the beverage maybe other types of drinkable liquids, particularly those that areinitially brewed in a heated state such as tea, although other drinkableliquids may also be included within the scope of the invention as setforth herein even if not initially brewed in a heated state. Thus, theintegrated apparatus 100 described herein brews or otherwise generates ahot beverage from hot water and then creates ice cubes from the hotwater automatically and without user input other than to initiate abrewing cycle.

The integrated apparatus 100 generally comprises a hot water supplysubsystem 110 that is configured to heat water to form hot water, abrewing subsystem 130 that is configured to receive and mix the hotwater generated by the hot water supply subsystem 110 with a beverageadditive (such as, for example without limitation, ground coffee beans,tea leaves, or the like) to form a hot beverage, a cooling subsystem 150configured to receive the hot beverage generated by the brewingsub-system and cool the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage, and afreezing subsystem 170 configured to freeze the cooled beverage to forma frozen beverage, which may be in the form of frozen beverage cubesthat can be added to a cup that is used for drinking. As discussed inmore detail below, the freezing subsystem 170 comprises a cool beveragereservoir 171 for storing the cooled beverage discharged from thecooling subsystem 150 and a beverage ice maker 172. As will be discussedherein, in the exemplified embodiment the entirety of the liquid flowof: (1) the hot water from the hot water supply subsystem 110 to thebrewing subsystem 130; (2) the hot beverage from the brewing subsystem130 to the cooling subsystem 150; and (3) the cooled beverage from thecooling subsystem 150 to the cool beverage reservoir of the freezingsubsystem 170 is gravity driven and is achieved without the use of anypumps or pressurization of the liquid to force its flow. Stated anotherway, the integrated apparatus 100 is free of any pumps that force liquidflow from the hot water supply subsystem 110 to the freezing subsystem170. Furthermore, this process takes place without user interventionautomatically once the brewing process begins. Thus, solely by gravitythe liquid moves from the hot water supply subsystem 110 all the wayinto the freezing subsystem 170 as various valves are opened and closed.There may be one or more pumps used in the freezing subsystem 170, butupstream of the freezing subsystem 170 no pumps are included in thesystem or apparatus.

The liquid flows from the hot water supply subsystem 110 to the freezingsubsystem 170 along a primary beverage processing flow path 101 of theintegrated apparatus 100. The entirety of the liquid flow along theprimary beverage processing flow path 101 is gravity driven. The hotwater supply subsystem 110 is configured to heat water (or anotherliquid) in a first portion 102 of the primary beverage processing flowpath 101 to form the hot water. The brewing subsystem 130 is configuredto introduce an additive (i.e., ground coffee beans, tea leaves, or thelike) into the hot water in a second portion 103 of the primary beverageprocessing flow path 101 to form the hot beverage. The cooling subsystem150 is configured to cool the hot water in a third portion 104 of theprimary beverage processing flow path 101 to form the cooled beverage.The hot water generated in the first portion 102 of the primary beverageprocessing flow path 101 flows solely via gravity into the secondportion 103 of the primary beverage processing flow path 101. The hotbeverage generated in the second portion 103 of the primary beverageprocessing flow path 101 flows solely via gravity into the third portion103 of the primary beverage processing flow path 101. The cooledbeverage generated in the third portion 103 of the primary beverageprocessing flow path 101 flows solely via gravity into the freezingsubsystem 170.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-4 concurrently, in the exemplified embodimentthe integrated apparatus 100 comprises a first housing 200 and a secondhousing 300. The hot water supply subsystem 110, the brewing subsystem130, and the cooling subsystem 150 are located within the first housing200 while the freezing subsystem 170 including the cool beveragereservoir 171, the beverage ice maker 172, and a freezer compartment 173is located within the second housing 300. Thus, all of the componentsfor brewing and cooling the beverage (i.e., coffee) are provided in thefirst housing 200 while all of the components for freezing the beverage(i.e., coffee) into beverage ice cubes are provided in the secondhousing 300. In the exemplified embodiment, the first housing 200 ispositioned atop the second housing 300. The first and second housings200, 300 are distinct from one another although the components heldwithin the first and second housings 200, 300 are fluidly coupledtogether so that the fluid can flow from the cooling subsystem 150within the first housing 200 into the freezing subsystem 170 within thesecond housing 300.

Each of the first and second housings 200, 300 may be formed fromseveral panels that are formed of a stainless steel material such thateach of the first and second housings 200, 300 forms a stainless steelcabinet for housing the various subsystems contained therein. However,the invention is not to be so limited and the first and second housings200, 300 may be formed of other materials including other metals ornon-metal materials such as plastic. Furthermore, the various dimensionsof the first and second housings, including width, length, and height isnot to be limiting of the present invention in all embodiments. Forexample, in the exemplified embodiment the first housing 200 has asmaller width than the second housing 300, although the widths of thefirst and second housings 200, 300 (and their lengths) may be the samein other embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9 (and other figures that may be mentionedbelow to direct attention to a specific feature of the integratedapparatus 100), each of the subsystems that is enclosed within the firsthousing 200 will be described below to provide a better understanding ofthe various components that are included within each subsystem. Tofacilitate this description, it is noted that the integrated apparatus100 includes a controller 199 that is operably coupled to severaldifferent sensors and valves within the different subsystems to controloperation of the integrated apparatus 100. In the exemplifiedembodiment, the controller 199 (and a power source 198 for powering thecontroller 199 and other electric components of the integrated apparatus100) is located within the first housing 200, although the controller199 could be located in the second housing 300 or externally to thefirst and second housings 200, 300 in other embodiments. The powersource 198 and the controller 199 are operably coupled to each other andto each electrical component that requires power and/or sendsinstructions to or receives instructions from the controller 199.

Based on temperature readings from various sensors and inputs front acontrol panel, the controller 199 is configured to activate anddeactivate heating elements and air flow generators and open and dosevalves as needed to prevent overflow and to ensure operation of theintegrated apparatus 100 is maintained in accordance with predeterminedoperating parameters and procedures. For example, in some embodimentsthe controller 199 will not allow the water/liquid to flow from the hotwater supply subsystem 110 to the brewing subsystem 130 until the wateris heated to a desired temperature. The function of the controller 199in carrying out the operation of the integrated apparatus 100 will bedescribed in much more detail below.

The controller 199 may in some embodiments comprise a processor and amemory device. The processor and memory device may be separatecomponents or the memory device may be integrated with the processorwithin the controller 199 as is the case in the exemplified embodiment.Furthermore, the controller 199 may include only one processor and onememory device, or it may include multiple processors and multiple memorydevices.

The processor of the controller 199 may be any computer or centralprocessing unit (CPU), microprocessor, micro-controller, computationaldevice, or circuit configured for executing some or all of the processesdescribed herein, including without limitation: (1) activation anddeactivation of heating elements: (2) activation and deactivation of anair flow generator; and (3) opening and closing of valves.

The memory device of the controller 199 may include, without limitation,any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory including random accessmemory (RAM) and various types thereof, read-only memory (ROM) andvarious types thereof, USB flash memory, and magnetic or optical datastorage devices (e.g. internal/external hard disks, floppy discs,magnetic tape CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, optical disk, ZIP™ drive, Blu-ray disk,and others), which may be written to and/or read by the processor whichis operably connected thereto. The memory device may store algorithmsand/or calculations that can be used (by the processor) to determinewhen to open/close and activate/deactivate the various electricalcomponents of the system described herein.

The hot water supply subsystem 110 generally comprises a water tank 111,one or more heating elements 112, a first temperature sensor 113, a hotwater valve 114, a hot water outlet 115, a water supply inlet 116, and aliquid level sensor 119 (which may include float switches 119 a, 119 b).Each of the heating elements 112, the first temperature sensor 113, thehot water valve 114, and the liquid level sensor 119 is operably coupledto the controller 199 (FIG. 1) so that the controller 199 can controloperation of the heating elements 112 (on/off and varying theirtemperature) and the hot water valve 114 (open all the way, closed allthe way, or something in between) based at least in part on data sent tothe controller 199 from the first temperature sensor 113. The controller199 can also control the inflow of water through the water supply inlet116 into the water tank 111 based on data sent to the controller 199from the liquid level sensor 119. Specifically, if the liquid levelsensor 119 indicates that the level of the liquid in the water tank 111is low, the controller 199 may automatically cause water to flow intothe water tank 111 via the water supply inlet 116 (which is coupled to awater source such as a water supply line). If the liquid level sensor119 indicates that the level of the liquid in the water tank 111 ishigh, the controller 199 may stop flow of the liquid into the water tank111 via the water supply inlet 116. This can be done automaticallywithout any user intervention or input based on communication betweenthe controller 199 and the various electrical components mentioned.

A hot water conduit 117 extends from an outlet opening 118 in a bottomof the tank 111 of the hot water supply subsystem 110 to the brewingsubsystem 130 to permit the hot water heated by the hot water supplysubsystem 110 to flow into the brewing subsystem 130 as needed. The hotwater conduit 117 may be a pipe, a tube, or the like formed of anydesired material (plastic such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), copper,lead, stainless steel, or the like) and haying any desired cross-sectionthat permits fluid to flow therethrough. In some embodiments, theheating elements 112, the temperature sensor 113, the hot water valve114, and the hot water outlet 115 of the hot water supply subsystem 110may be located along the hot water conduit 117.

The water tank 111 has an inner surface 122 that defines an internalcavity 123 that is configured to hold the water 124 or other liquid thatis to be heated in the hot water supply subsystem 110. The system isdescribed herein with water being the liquid that is in the water tank111 because water is used to form most beverages including coffee andtea. However, it should be appreciated that other liquids can be used,including water-based liquids and liquids that do not include water suchas fruit juices and the like, depending on the desired end result. Thewater tank 111 may be formed of stainless steel in some embodimentsalthough the invention is not to be so limited and the water tank 111may be formed of other metal materials or even plastics in otherembodiments. The water tank 111 may have any desired shape includingbeing circular, square, rectangular, or the like. The water tank 111 mayhave a constant cross-sectional area along its length or it may have avarying cross-sectional area, so as to be funnel-shaped or the like insome embodiments. In the exemplified embodiment, the internal cavity 123of the water tank 111 has a maximum volume of 64 ounces, although theinvention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the water tank111 may have a volume that is greater than or less than 64 ounces inother embodiments. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment the water tank111 is designed to hold 64 ounces of water, but in other embodiments itmay be designed to hold more or less than 64 ounces of water. The amountof water that can be stored in the water tank 111 dictates the amount ofthe hot beverage that can be brewed and then turned into beverage icecubes in a single cycle. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment a singlebrewing cycle will generate up to 64 ounces of the hot beverage that canbe converted into beverage ice cubes. However, the exact amount of waterheld in the water tank 111 is not to be limiting of the presentinvention in all embodiments.

The one or more heating elements 112 are configured to heat the water inthe water tank 111 to a desired hot threshold temperature. The hotthreshold temperature is the preferred temperature of the water before abrewing cycle begins (i.e., before the water is permitted to flow out ofthe water tank 111 and towards the brewing subsystem 130). In someembodiments, the water in the water tank 111 may be heated to be (i.e.,the hot threshold temperature may be) between 100 and 210° F., morespecifically between 110 and 190° F., still more specifically between120 and 180° C., still more specifically between 130 and 170° F., evenmore specifically between 140 and 160° F., and more specificallyapproximately 150° F. In some embodiments the hot threshold temperaturemay be between 190 and 210° F., as this is the temperature at whichcoffee dissolves most readily. However, because the integrated apparatus100 is making coffee ice cubes in some embodiments and the purpose is toreduce dilution in an iced coffee/beverage product rather than making anoptimal cup of coffee, temperatures below the 190-210° F. range may beused effectively. Of course, the exact. temperature may be outside ofthese ranges depending on the optimal temperature for a liquid that isused to brew different beverages. For example, the optimal temperaturefor water used to brew tea and coffee might be different, and thus thewater in the water tank 111 may be heated to the specifically optimaltemperature depending on the particular beverage that it is going to beused to make.

In the embodiment exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 9, the heating elements 112are coupled directly to the outer surface of the water tank 111. FIG. 1illustrates this generically, and FIG. 9 illustrates this in accordancewith one embodiment whereby the heating elements 112 each wrapcircumferentially around the outer surface of the water tank 111 in aspaced apart manner. Of course, the invention is not to be limited bythe specific embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and the heating elements 112 maytake on different shapes, sizes, configurations, and the like. Forexample, instead of elongated heating elements 112 that wrap around thewater tank 111 as shown in FIG. 9, the heating elements 112 may becircular or polygonal shaped elements that are arranged around the outersurface of the water tank 111 in a spaced apart manner, or they may beelongated and extend vertically along the water tank 111, or they mayinclude a single sheet-like heating element that wraps around the outersurface of the water tank 111. Thus, it should be appreciated that thereare many variations for the structural embodiment of the heatingelements 112 and it is merely desired that they are capable of heatingthe water in the water tank 111 to the hot threshold temperature notedherein above irrespective of their specific structural configuration.

Although the heating elements 112 are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 9 asbeing coupled directly to the outer surface of the water tank 111, theinvention is not to be so limited in embodiments. Specifically, in otherembodiments the heating elements 112 may be coupled to the inner surfaceof the water tank 111 or they may be suspended within the interior ofthe water tank 111 without being coupled directly to the inner surfaceof the water tank 111. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 10, in oneembodiment the heating elements 112 may be located along the hot waterconduit 117. In such embodiment, the heating element 112 may be a waterheating element (700 Watt, for example) that is positioned within theflow path of the water as it exits the water tank 111 and flows towardsthe brewing subsystem 130. In such embodiment, the water will be heatedafter it leaves the water tank 111 rather than while it is within thewater tank 111. Thus, the exact type and positioning of the beatingelements 112 is not limiting of the invention in all embodiments so longas the heating elements 112 are configured to heat the water to adesired temperature before the water enters the brewing subsystem 150.

In the exemplified embodiment, the heating elements 112 will heat thewater tank 111, which will in turn heat the water contained within thewater tank 111. Of course, in other embodiments as mentioned herein, theheating elements 112 may heat the water while it is in the water tank111 or the heating elements 112 may heat the water as or after it leavesthe water tank 111, such as by being in-line heaters. In the exemplifiedembodiment, the heating elements 112 may be any type of heating elementthat can readily be secured to the outer surface of the water tank 111while permitting the heating elements 112 to generate heat and heat thewater in the water tank 111. For example, in one particular embodimentthe heating elements 112 may be flexible silicone heat sheets thatinclude an adhesive on one side thereof to permit the heating elements112 to be adhesively secured to the outer surface of the water tank 111.Of course, the invention is not to be so limited and the heatingelements 112 may be any type, of heating element in other embodimentsincluding resistive heating elements, heating coils, metal heatingelements, ceramic heating elements, polymer PTC heating elements,composite heating elements, or combinations thereof. Thus, the inventionis not to be particularly limited by the type of heating elements usedunless expressly recited as such in the claims. Rather, in certainembodiments the heating elements 112 may be any type of element that isconfigured to generate heat.

As noted above, the heating elements 112 are operably coupled to thecontroller 199, and thus the controller 199 may control operation of theheating elements 112 by activating the heating elements 112 when heat isrequired to heat the water in the water tank 111 and deactivating theheating elements 112 when heat is no longer required. In someembodiments, so long as a sufficient amount of the water is located inthe water tank 111 (as determined by the liquid level sensor 119), theheating elements 112 will be activated. In such an embodiment, the waterin the water tank 111 will always be heated to the hot thresholdtemperature so that upon user activation of a brewing cycle by sending abrewing activation signal to the controller 199, the water will be readyto be sent to the brewing subsystem 130 without having to wait to heatthe water. In other embodiments, in order to conserve energy the heatingelements 112 may only be activated after a brewing activation signal istransmitted to the controller 199 (such as by the user pressing a buttonor the like). In such alternative embodiment, the water in the watertank 111 will remain unheated until it is needed to be heated for abrewing cycle.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 9, the first temperature sensor 113 isoperably coupled to the controller 199 and positioned in such a mannerso that it can be configured to sense the temperature of the waterwithin the water tank 111 (or at some point upstream of the brewingsubsystem 130). In FIG. 1, the first temperature sensor 113 isillustrated being located along the hot water conduit 117 adjacent tothe outlet opening 118 in the tank 117. However, the invention is not tobe so limited and the first temperature sensor 113 may be located withinthe interior of the tank 111 as illustrated in FIG. 9 so as to be indirect contact with the water/liquid held within the tank 111 to ensureaccurate temperature readings of the water in the tank 111 are receivedby the first temperature sensor. Furthermore, the first temperaturesensor 113 may be positioned at any other location so long as it iscapable of detecting/sensing the temperature of the water held in thewater tank 111. Thus, the exact positioning of the first temperaturesensor 113 is not to be limiting of the invention other than that itmust be configured to detect the temperature of the water held in thewater tank 111 or the water in the hot water supply subsystem 110 beforeit passes to the brewing subsystem 130.

The hot water valve 114 is located downstream of the water tank 111 andupstream of the brewing subsystem 130 to control flow of the water fromthe water tank 111 to the brewing subsystem 130. Specifically, when thehot water valve 114 is fully closed, no water will flow from the watertank 111 to the brewing subsystem 130. When the hot water valve 114 ispartially or fully open, water will flow, via gravity as describedabove, from the water tank 111 to the brewing subsystem 130. Thus, thehot water valve 114 is the component that controls the start/initiationof a brewing cycle because once the water passes the hot water valve 144it will enter directly into the brewing subsystem 130. In theexemplified embodiment, the hot water valve 114 is operably coupled tothe controller 199 so that the controller 199 can control operation(i.e., opening and closing) of the hot water valve 114. In someembodiments, the controller 199 may automatically open the valve upon asufficient amount of water being held in the water tank 111 and heatedto the hot threshold temperature. In other embodiments, some user inputon a control panel (i.e., initiating a brewing activation signal) may berequired to cause the controller 199 to open the hot water valve 114 asdiscussed herein below with reference in part to FIGS. 8A and BB.

In the exemplified embodiment, the hot water valve 114 is an electricvalve that is operably coupled to the controller 199. The hot watervalve 114 may be any type of valve that can prevent and permit flow ofthe water from the hot water supply subsystem 110 to the brewingsubsystem 130 as desired. In one embodiment, the hot water valve 114(and all other valves described herein) is a solenoid valve. However,the exact type of valve used as the hot water valve 114 is not to belimiting of the present invention so long as the valve is capable ofaltering between closed and open positions as described herein.

The hot water outlet 115 is the outlet from the hot water supplysubsystem 110 to the brewing subsystem 130. The hot water outlet 115 isdownstream of the hot water valve 114. Furthermore, the hot water outlet115 is located at a first elevation relative to a horizontal orapproximately horizontal surface upon which the integrated apparatus 100is positioned. All uses of the term elevation herein are relative to thesame horizontal or approximately horizontal surface upon which theintegrated apparatus 100 is positioned. Thus, if one elevation isdescribed as being less than another elevation, it means the oneelevation is closer to the horizontal surface on which the integratedapparatus 100 is positioned than the other elevation. Thought of anotherway, the elevation is the vertical distance of one component from thefloor on which the integrated apparatus 100 is positioned.

The water supply inlet 116 may be used to automatically add water to thewater tank 111 from a water supply line water source. Specifically, thewater supply inlet 116 may be coupled to a conduit that connectsdirectly to a water supply, such as a water supply line in a home orbuilding. The water supply inlet 116 may include a water supply valve120 to control the flow of water from the water supply to the water tank111 via the water supply inlet 116. When the water supply valve 120 isopen, water can flow from the water supply to the water tank 111. Whenthe water supply valve 120 is closed, water cannot flow from the watersupply to the water tank 111. The water supply valve 120 may be operablycoupled to the controller 199 so that opening and closing of the watersupply valve 120 may be automated by the controller 199. Alternatively,the water supply valve 120 may be a manual valve that can be opened andclosed manually by a user to flow water into and prevent flow of waterinto the water tank 111 from the water supply line. FIG. 6 illustratesthe location where the water supply inlet 116 enters into the firsthousing 200 and FIG. 7 illustrates the location where the water supplyinlet 116 enters into the internal cavity 123 of the water tank 111.

In addition to or as an alternative to the water supply inlet 116, watermay be added to the water tank 111 by simply pouring the water into thewater tank 111 through an opening in its top end. Specifically,referring to FIGS. 2 and 5-7, the first housing 200 includes a cover 201that is adjustable between a closed position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6and an open position as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. When in the openposition, an opening 202 in the top end of the water tank 111 isexposed, thus permitting a user to pour water into the internal cavity123 of the water tank 111 through the opening 202. Thus, water may beadded to the water tank 111 either automatically through the watersupply inlet 116 or manually through the opening 202 in the top end ofthe water tank 111.

Finally, the hot water supply subsystem 110 comprises the liquid levelsensor 119. The liquid level sensor 119 is operably coupled to thecontroller 199 to send signals to the controller 199 regarding the levelof the water/liquid within the water tank 111. In FIG. 1, the liquidlevel sensor 119 is illustrated as a singular component. However, inFIGS. 7 and 9, for example, the liquid level sensor 119 is illustratedcomprising an empty float switch 119 a located near the bottom of theinternal cavity of the water tank 111 and a full float switch 119 blocated near the top of the internal cavity of the water tank 111. Theinvention is not limited to whether a single liquid level sensor or anempty and full float switch is used to monitor the level of thewater/liquid within the water tank 111.

The controller 199 may control the filling of the water tank 111 via thewater supply inlet 116 automatically based on information sent to thecontroller 199 from the liquid level sensor 119. Specifically, if theliquid level sensor 119 sends data indicating that the water tank 111 isempty, the controller 199 may automatically activate the water supplyinlet 116 by opening the water supply valve 120 to permit water to flowinto the water tank 111 until the liquid level sensor 119 sends a signalto the controller 199 indicating that the water tank 111 is full. Atthat time, the controller 199 will close the water supply valve 120 sothat no more water can enter therein. In this manner, the integratedapparatus 100 may automatically ensure that the water tank 111 is alwaysfull. This can reduce user time requirements in operation of theintegrated apparatus 100 and in some instances where the heatingelements 112 are always operational, ensure that hot water is constantlyavailable for brewing. Furthermore, if the water tank 111 does overflowfor any reason (either a user manually pouring too much water into thewater tank 111 or due to the controller 199 or the water supply valve120 not functioning properly), the system includes an overflow conduit121 that extends from an opening in a sidewall of the water tank 111 toa drain (such as a floor drain or a sink drain or the like) so that theintegrated apparatus 100 will not completely overflow. Rather, excesswater will be drained from the water tank 111 through the overflowconduit 121 rather than flowing out through the opening 202 in the topend of the water tank 111.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 9 concurrently, the brewing subsystem 130will be described. As described above, the brewing subsystem 130receives the hot water generated by the hot water supply subsystem 110and mixes it with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage. In thatregard, the brewing subsystem 130 includes a hot water inlet 131 locatedat a second elevation relative to the horizontal surface on which theintegrated apparatus 100 is positioned and a hot beverage outlet 132located at a third elevation relative to the horizontal surface. The hotwater inlet 131 is fluidly coupled to the hot water outlet 115 of thehot water supply subsystem 110 to permit the hot water to flow from thehot water supply subsystem 110 into the brewing subsystem 130.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 9, the second elevation of the hot water inlet131 of the brewing subsystem 130 is less than the first elevation of thehot water outlet 115 of the hot water supply subsystem 110. Furthermore,the third elevation of the hot beverage outlet 132 of the brewingsubsystem 130 is less than the second elevation of the hot water inlet131 of the brewing subsystem 130. These changes in elevations facilitatethe gravity driven flow of the water/liquid throughout the brewing andcooling process as described herein.

The brewing subsystem 130 further comprises a dispenser 144 comprisingone or more dispensing nozzles and a mixing apparatus 133. The mixingapparatus 133 is positioned to receive the hot water from the hot waterinlet 131 and convert it into a hot beverage. Thus, the mixing apparatus133 is downstream of the hot water inlet 131 and the hot water outlet132 is downstream of the mixing apparatus 133. Furthermore, thedispenser 144 is fluidly coupled to the hot water inlet 131 so that thehot water passes from the hot water inlet 131 to the dispenser 144 wherethe hot water is dispensed into the mixing apparatus 133 via the one ormore dispensing nozzles. In the exemplified embodiment, the dispenser144 is a sprinkler head comprising a plurality of dispensing nozzlesthrough which the hot water may flow into the mixing apparatus 133.Thus, the dispenser 144 may spray the hot water over a larger surfacearea to entirely cover an additive contained within the mixing apparatus133 as described below. However, in other embodiments the dispenser 144may simply comprise a single opening/nozzle through which the hot watermay flow from the dispenser 144 into the mixing apparatus 133.

The mixing apparatus 133 may be a basket or other container having aninner surface 136 that defines an interior cavity 137 that is generallyconfigured to hold a filter 134 and a bed of additives 135 therein. Forexample, the filter 134 may be a coffee-type filter made of disposablepaper that is positioned within the interior cavity 137 of the mixingapparatus 133 and the bed of additives 135 may be ground coffee beansthat are placed atop of the filter 134. Of course, the bed of additives135 may be other than coffee beans in other embodiments, such as beingtea leaves or the like. Varying the substance of the bed of additives135 will modify/change the beverage that is formed as the end product.In any case, the filter 134 is positioned within the mixing apparatus133 so that it may trap the coffee grounds while permitting the liquidcoffee (i.e., hot beverage) formed by passing the hot water through themixing apparatus 133 to flow through. The mixing apparatus 133 comprisesan opening 138 in its bottom surface so that the hot water that flowsinto the brewing subsystem 130 from the hot water supply subsystem 110can flow into the interior cavity 137, contact and pass through the bedof additives 135 and the filter 134, and pass through the opening 138 asthe hot beverage towards the hot beverage outlet 132.

Once the hot beverage passes through the opening 138 in the mixingapparatus 13, the hot beverage will flow automatically into the coolingsubsystem 150. Specifically, in the exemplified embodiment there are novalves or other devices to prevent flow of the hot beverage from themixing apparatus 133 to the cooling subsystem 150. Rather, as soon asthe hot beverage is formed in the brewing subsystem 130, the hotbeverage flows directly into the cooling subsystem 150 so that thecooling process may begin. Of, course, in alternative embodiments avalve may be added to the system between the brewing subsystem 130 andthe cooling subsystem 150 to prevent overflow of the cooling subsystem150 in case it already has a beverage being cooled therein. In suchembodiments, the hot beverage may flow into a holding tank between thebrewing subsystem 130 and the cooling subsystem 150 until the coolingsubsystem 150 is empty and has sufficient available volume to accept thenewly brewed hot beverage.

In the exemplified embodiment, adding a valve and/or holding tankbetween the brewing subsystem 130 and the cooling subsystem 150 is notneeded because the hot water will not be released from the water tank111 if there is a beverage being cooled in the cooling subsystem 150.Specifically, because in the exemplified embodiment once the hot waterleaves the hot water supply subsystem 110 it automatically travels viagravity through the brewing subsystem 130 and to the cooling subsystem150 without any valves to prevent or slow this flow, it may be necessaryto ensure that the cooling subsystem 150 is empty before the hot water150 is released from the water tank 111 and a brewing cycle begins. Inthis regard, as will be discussed more fully below, the coolingsubsystem 150 may include a liquid level sensor that is operably coupledto the controller 199 so that if the liquid level sensor detects aparticular amount of the beverage in the cooling subsystem 150, it willnot open the hot water valve 114, thereby preventing a new brewing cyclefrom starting. In such an embodiment, even if a user tries to activate abrewing cycle, if there is an amount of the hot beverage in the coolingsubsystem 150, the controller 199 will not allow the brewing cycle tobegin in order to prevent overflow of the cooling subsystem 150.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, , and 8B, the brewing subsystem 130 furthercomprises a brewing chamber 139 in which the mixing apparatus 133 isremovably positioned. The first housing 200 comprises a window 203 in afirst upstanding wall 204 of the housing 200 that forms a passagewayinto the brewing chamber 139. Specifically, in FIG. 8A the mixingapparatus 133 is illustrated positioned within the brewing chamber 139and in FIG. 8B the mixing apparatus 133 is illustrated removed from thebrewing chamber 139. In this regard, the brewing chamber 139 comprises apair of side rails 140 on which a flange 141 of the mixing apparatus 133may be slid for insertion and removal of the mixing apparatus 133 fromthe brewing chamber 139. The mixing apparatus 133 may include a handle142 to facilitate ready gripping by a user during the insertion andremoval procedure. The mixing apparatus 133 must be removed from thebrewing chamber 139 between brewing cycles so that a new filter 134 anda fresh amount of the additive 135 can be inserted into the interiorcavity 137 of the mixing apparatus 133 in preparation for a subsequentbrewing cycle. The handle 142 of the mixing apparatus 133 and the window203 in the first housing 200 make the process of cleaning and refillingthe mixing apparatus 133 easy to accomplish.

As seen in FIGS. 2, 5, 8A, and 8B, there is a control panel 250 on thefirst upstanding wall 204 of the first housing 200 that includesindicators 251 and an actuator 252. The indicators include an “addwater” indicator, a “low coffee” indicator, a “service” indicator, and a“working” indicator. Each of the indicators has a light associated withit that can be lit up when the condition of that indicator is met. Forexample, when the water level in the water tank 111 is low as determinedby the liquid level sensor 119, the “add water” indicator may be lit.This may be important where the water supply inlet 116 is not hooked upto a water supply and thus a user must manually add water into the watertank 111. When the machine requires service, the “service” indicator maybe lit. When the machine is either brewing a beverage in the brewingsubsystem 130 or cooling a beverage in the cooling subsystem 150, the“working” indicator may be lit. And finally, when the amount of brewedcoffee is detected at a low level (determined based on the amount of thebrewed and subsequently cooled coffee that is located in a cool beveragereservoir of the freezing subsystem 170 discussed in more detail below),the “low coffee” indicator may be lit, indicating to a user that morecoffee should be brewed. The indicators may also include an “ice cubesize” indicator and an “ice chest full” indicator. The “ice cube, size”indicator may enable a user to change the size of the beverage ice cubesthat are made by the integrated apparatus 100 as discussed more fullybelow. The “ice chest full” indicator may indicate to a user that noadditional beverage ice cubes should be made because there isinsufficient space to support them in the ice chest of freezercompartment 173. Other indicators can be included on the control panel250 to enhance the user experience of the integrated apparatus 100.

In the exemplified embodiment, the actuator 252 is a button that can bepressed by a user to start a brewing cycle. Of course, the actuator 252may be a toggle switch, a slide switch, or any other type of actuationmechanism as may be desired. A user actuating the actuator 252 may causeone of several things to happen, depending on specific system operationparameters. In some embodiments, pressing the actuator button 252 mayactivate the heating elements 112 to begin generating heat so that theycan heat up the water within the water tank 111. In such an embodiment,upon the water in the water tank 111 being detected at the hot thresholdtemperature, the controller 199 may automatically cause the hot watervalve 114 to open to send the hot water to the brewing subsystem 130. Inother embodiments, the heating elements 113 may always be operating toheat the water to the hot threshold temperature when there is asufficient amount of water detected in the water tank 111. In such anembodiment, upon pressing the actuator button 252 the controller 199 mayimmediately open the hot water valve 114 to start the brewing processbecause the water has already been heated (after checking with the firsttemperature sensor to ensure that the water has reached the hotthreshold temperature).

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 9, the cooling subsystem 150 will bedescribed in greater detail. The cooling subsystem 150 generallycomprises a hot beverage inlet 151, a heat exchanger 160, an air flowgenerator 152, a second temperature sensor 153, a cooled beverage valve154, and a cooled beverage outlet 155. The cooling subsystem 150 mayalso include a liquid level sensor in some embodiments. The hot beverageinlet 151 receives the hot beverage from the brewing subsystem 130 andthe cooled beverage outlet 155 permits the beverage, once cooled by theheat exchanger 160, to pass into the freezer subsystem 170. Thus, thehot beverage stays within the heat exchanger 160 until it is cooled to acool threshold temperature, at which time it may be sent to the coolbeverage reservoir 171 of the freezer subsystem 170. The hot beverageinlet 151 is located at a fourth elevation that is less than the thirdelevation of the hot beverage outlet 132 of the brewing subsystem 130.The cooled beverage outlet 155 is located at a fifth elevation that isless than the fourth elevation of the hot beverage inlet 151. Again,this permits the gravity flow of the liquid throughout the brewing andcooling process as described herein.

Referring to FIGS. 9, 12, and 13, the heat exchanger 160 will bedescribed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Inthe exemplified embodiment, the heat exchanger 160 comprises a hotbeverage cooling tank 161 and a plurality of heat dissipating elements166 coupled to and extending from the hot beverage cooling tank 161. Thehot beverage cooling tank 161 comprises a floor 162 and a sidewall 163extending upwardly from the floor 162. The floor 162 and the sidewall163 collectively define a cavity or reservoir 169, which may also bereferred to herein as a heat exchange chamber of the heat exchanger 160.In the exemplified embodiment, the cavity 169 has a volume ofapproximately 64 ounces so that all of the beverage brewed in a singlecycle may pass through the brewing subsystem 130 and into the coolingsubsystem 150 where it may be stored while it cools. Furthermore, it maybe desirable to maximize the surface area of the floor 162 of the hotbeverage cooling tank 161 to shorten the cooling time. Specifically, theshallower the hot beverage is while contained within the cavity 169 ofthe hot beverage cooling tank 161, the quicker it will cool. Thus, thelength and width dimensions of the cavity 169 of the hot beveragecooling tank 161 may be maximized within the dimensions of the firsthousing 200 while keeping the height of the sidewalk 162 and the depthof the cavity 169 to a minimum while still enabling it to hold thepreferred amount of the beverage (i.e., 64 ounces or the like). In someembodiments, it may be desirable for the maximum depth of the hotbeverage within the cavity 169 to be 1-2 inches, or more specifically1-1.5 inches. Thus, the maximum height of the sidewall 163 as measuredfrom the floor 162 to the first surface 165 a of the hot beveragecooling tank 161 may be 1-2 inches, or 1-1.5 inches.

In one embodiment, the hot beverage cooling tank 161 may have a lengthL, a width W, and a height H. The dimensions of the length width L,width W and height H should be sufficient to equal a volume of at least64 ounces while keeping the height H to a minimum. For example, in oneembodiment the height H may be 1.5 inches, and the length L multipliedby the width W the hot beverage cooling tank 161 may be between 80 and90 inches squared and the height H may be approximately 1.5 inchessquared. Stated another way, in some embodiments the cavity 169 of thebeverage cooling tank 161 may have a volume of between 115 and 130inches cubed. The exact value of the length L, the width W, and theheight H may be modified depending on the shape of the hot beveragecooling tank 161. Furthermore, the dimensions provided herein are notintended to be limiting of the present invention unless expresslyrecited in the claims.

In the exemplified embodiment, the cavity 169 of the hot beveragecooling tank 161 is square or rectangular-shaped with rounded corners.Utilizing rounded corners may be desirable to limit the amount ofbacteria that may become deposited and remain within the cavity 169.Specifically, sharp corners are more prone to retaining bacteria andbacteria may be more difficult to remove from such sharp corners. Thus,rounding the corners is desirable in some embodiments to maintain thebeverage cooling tank 161 in a hygienic manner. In the exemplifiedembodiment the top end of the beverage cooling tank 161 is closed by alid that has some of the heat dissipating elements 166 extendingtherefrom. However, in other embodiments the top end of the beveragecooling tank 161 may be left open, which may speed up the coolingprocess.

Furthermore, the hot beverage cooling tank 161 comprises an outlet 164in the floor 162 to permit the beverage, once cooled to the coolthreshold temperature, to flow out of the hot beverage cooling tank 161via the cooled beverage outlet 155. In certain embodiments, the floor162 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 may be angled towards theoutlet 164 so that the liquid contained within the beverage cooling tank161 flows automatically, via gravity, through the outlet 164 when thecooled beverage valve 154 is opened as discussed below. In suchembodiments, the outlet 164 will be located at a lower elevation thanthe remainder of the floor 162 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 toencourage flow of the cooled beverage through the outlet 164 at theappropriate time. Alternatively, the entire hot beverage cooling tank161 may be angled when installed to permit the gravity flow of theliquid through the outlet 164 when the cooled beverage valve 154 isopened.

In certain embodiments, the hot beverage cooling tank 161 may be formedof aluminum, although the invention is not to be so limited and otherthermally conductive materials may be used, including copper, brass,steel, bronze, or the like.

The hot beverage cooling tank 161 comprises a first surface 165 a and asecond surface 165 b that is opposite the first surface 165 a. In theexemplified embodiment, the plurality of heat dissipating elements 166comprises a first set of fins 167 located on the first surface 165 a(which may be formed by a lid or cover as described above) of the hotbeverage cooling tank 161 and a second set of fins 168 located on thesecond surface 165 b of the hot beverage cooling tank 160. The pluralityof heat dissipating elements 166 increase the surface area of the heatexchanger 160, thereby more effectively removing heat from the hotbeverage in the hot beverage cooling tank 161 for a shorter coolingtime. The heat exchanger 160 may also include vent openings 196 in thetop portion thereof to enable venting of the cavity 169.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the heat exchanger 160with the top portion removed so that the cavity 169 is exposed.Specifically, in this embodiment the heat exchanger 160 includesinternal fins 197 located within the cavity 169 of the hot beveragecooling tank 161. Such internal fins 197 may further reduce the coolingtime.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 9, the integrated apparatus 100 will befurther described. As noted above, the hot beverage inlet 151 receivesthe hot beverage discharged from the brewing subsystem 130 and flows thehot beverage into the cavity 169 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 ofthe heat exchanger 160. It should be appreciated that during operation,the hot beverage simply remains stationary within the cavity 169 of thehot beverage cooling tank. 161 as it cools and until it reaches apredetermined reduced temperature. For example, the hot beverage mayenter the hot beverage cooling tank 161 at a temperature ofapproximately 150° F. and it may stay in the hot beverage cooling tank161 until it reaches a cool threshold temperature. The cool thresholdtemperature may be between 60 and 90° F., more specifically between 70and 80° F., and still more specifically approximately between 70 and 75°F. The hot beverage is not moving within the hot beverage cooing tank161 during cooling, but rather remains stationary. Thus, the hot andsubsequently cooled beverage simply stays within the hot beveragecooling tank 161 until it reaches the cool threshold temperature. Inthis way, the hot beverage cooling tank 161 acts as a holding chamberfor holding the beverage while it cools. Although the beverage isstationary within the hot beverage cooling tank 161, there is an activeair stream 159 being flowed across the heat exchanger 160 via the airflow generator 152 to assist in cooling the hot beverage.

In the exemplified embodiment, the air flow generator 152 comprises twofans that are positioned in a side-by-side arrangement so as to generatethe air flow stream 159 across the heat exchanger 160. Thus, the airflow generator 152 is positioned adjacent to the heat exchanger 160 withits air blowing side facing the heat exchanger 160. In the exemplifiedembodiment, the two fans of the air flow generator 152 are positioned onthe same side of the heat exchanger 160. However, in other embodimentsthe two fans may be positioned on opposite or adjacent sides of the heatexchanger 160.

As best seen in FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 3 and 4 when viewed together, theair flow generator 152 and the heat exchanger 160 are located within thefirst housing 200 in alignment with one or more inlet vents 205 formedin the first upstanding wall 204 of the first housing 200 and one ormore outlet vents 206 in a second upstanding wall 207 of the firsthousing 200. The inlet and outlet vents 205, 206 are openings or holesformed into the first and second upstanding walls 204, 207 that permitair to enter into and leave the internal space within the first housing200. The inlet and outlet vents 205, 206 may have any desired shape,configuration, and size and it can be different than that which is shownin the drawings in some embodiments. During operation the air flowgenerator 152 pulls ambient air through the one or more inlet vents 205and generates the air flow stream 159 therefrom. The air flow stream 159flows across the heat exchanger 160 and then out through the outletvents 206. Although two fans are illustrated in the exemplifiedembodiment, the air flow generator 152 may include only one fan or morethan two fans in other embodiments. Thus, the invention is not to belimited by the number of fans that make up the air flow generator 152,but rather in some embodiments merely that the integrated apparatus 100includes the air flow generator 152 to speed up the beverage coolingprocess that takes place in the heat exchanger 160.

It should be appreciated that the processes taking place in the hotwater supply subsystem 110 and the brewing subsystem 130 generate heat,and thus by placing the cooling subsystem 150 below the hot water supplysubsystem 110 and the brewing subsystem 130, the heat generated in thehot water supply subsystem 110 and the brewing subsystem 130 does notaffect the cooling of the hot beverage in the cooling subsystem 150.Rather, because heat rises, the heat generated in the hot water supplysubsystem 110 and the brewing subsystem 130 remains above the heatexchanger 160. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 160 is positionedadjacent to the second housing 300, which houses the components of thefreezing subsystem 170. Thus, the interior of the second housing 300 isa cold or environment. By placing the heat exchanger 160 adjacent to thesecond housing 300, the processing time for cooling the beverage withinthe cooling subsystem 150 may be further reduced as the relatively cooltemperature (below ambient and possibly below freezing) of the airwithin the second housing 300 may contact the heat exchanger 160.

As set forth herein, the air flow generator 152 is configured to blowambient, room temperature air (i.e., the air flow stream 159) across theheat exchanger 160 to assist in the cooling of the hot beverage withinthe cavity 169 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161. This process maytake ten or more minutes, of fifteen or more minutes, or twenty or moreminutes in various embodiments. However, it may be desirable to continuecooling the hot beverage within the hot beverage cooling tank 161 untilit reaches the cool threshold temperature, which as noted above may bebetween 70° F. and 75° F. in some embodiments.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 9, the second temperature sensor 153monitors the temperature of the hot beverage within the hot beveragecooling tank 161. In FIG. 1, the second temperature sensor 153 isillustrated being located outside of the hot beverage cooling tank 161.However, the second temperature sensor 153 may alternatively be locatedwithin the cavity 169 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 to ensure anaccurate temperature reading of the hot beverage. The second temperaturesensor 153 is operably coupled to the controller 199 so that thecontroller can control operation of the cooled beverage valve 154 basedon the temperature readings transmitted from the second temperaturesensor 153.

Specifically, the cooled beverage valve 154 is located adjacent to theoutlet 164 of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 and is adjustablebetween a closed state that prevents the beverage within the cavity 169of the hot beverage cooling tank 161 from exiting and an open state thepermits the beverage within the cavity 169 of the hot beverage coolingtank 161 to pass into the freezing subsystem 170. In operation, thecontroller 199 will maintain the cooled beverage valve 154 in the closedstate until the second temperature sensor 153 sends a signal to thecontroller 199 indicating that the beverage in the hot beverage coolingtank 161 has reached the cool threshold temperature, such as 70-75° F.as noted above. Upon the temperature sensor 153 signaling to thecontroller 199 that the temperature of the beverage in the hot beveragecooling tank 161 has reached the cool threshold temperature, thecontroller 199 will open the cooled beverage valve 154, therebypermitting the cooled beverage to flow from the cooling subsystem 150 toa cool beverage reservoir 171 of the freezing subsystem 170. The cooledbeverage valve 154 will then bias back into the closed state (byinstruction from the controller 199) either automatically upon the hotbeverage cooling tank 161 being empty of the cooled beverage or after auser activates a new brewing cycle (once the user presses the brewingbutton to activate a new brewing cycle, this may initiate the closing ofthe cooled beverage valve 154 if it is not already closed).

In certain embodiments, the opening of the cooled beverage valve 154 mayoccur automatically by the controller 199 based on communicationsbetween the controller 199 and the cooled beverage valve 154 and thetemperature sensor 151. Specifically, in some embodiments immediatelyupon the temperature sensor 153 detecting that the temperature of thebeverage within the hot beverage cooling tank 161 has reached the coolthreshold temperature, the temperature sensor 153 will transmit thisdata to the controller 199. In response, the controller 199 mayautomatically open the cooled beverage valve 154. Due to gravity asdiscussed herein (and the angle of the floor 162 of the hot beveragecooling tank 161), upon the cooled beverage valve 154 being opened, thecooled beverage will flow automatically into the cool beverage reservoir171 of the freezing subsystem 170. The cool threshold temperature may bepre-set at the factory, and/or it may be set by an end user. The coolthreshold temperature may in some embodiments be modifiable to enhanceand optimize system operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 9 and 14, the freezing subsystem 170 will bedescribed. As noted above, the freezing subsystem 170 is enclosed withinthe second housing 300 rather than being within the first housing 200.In some embodiments, the freezing subsystem 170 may be a standardcommercial grade ice cube maker and it may be retrofit to work inconjunction with the first housing 200 to make beverage ice cubesinstead of water ice cubes. As noted above, the freezing subsystem 170comprises the cool beverage reservoir 171, the beverage ice maker 172,and the freezer compartment 173.

Once the cooled beverage valve 154 is opened and the cooled beverageleaves the cooling subsystem 150, the cooled beverage flows into thecool beverage reservoir 171 of the freezing subsystem 170. The coolbeverage reservoir 171 comprises a floor 174 and sidewalls 175 extendingupwardly from the floor 174 to thereby define the reservoir for holdingthe cool beverage. Furthermore, an outlet 176 is formed into the floor174 of the cool beverage reservoir 171 to permit the cool beverage toflow from the cool beverage reservoir 171 to the beverage ice maker 172.Finally, a liquid level sensor 177 is placed within the cool beveragereservoir 171 to detect the amount of the cooled beverage is in in thecool beverage reservoir 171. The liquid level sensor 177 is operablycoupled to the controller 199 to transmit data regarding the amount ofthe cooled beverage that is in the cool beverage reservoir 171.

In the exemplified embodiment, the outlet 175 of the cool beveragereservoir 171 may always be open such that the cooled beverage in thecool beverage reservoir 171 will always flow out through the outlet 175towards the beverage ice maker 172. In other embodiments, the integratedapparatus 100 may include an ice maker valve downstream of the coolbeverage reservoir 171 and upstream of the beverage ice maker 172 tocontrol when the cooled beverage can flow from the cool beveragereservoir 171 to the beverage ice maker 172. In some embodiments,opening and closing of the ice maker valve may be dictated by the datatransmitted to the controller 199 from the liquid level sensor 177.Specifically, the controller 199 may keep the ice maker valve doseduntil a predetermined amount of the cooled beverage is located withinthe cool beverage reservoir 171.

In the exemplified embodiment, there is no ice maker valve included.Rather, the controller 199 may control the opening and closing of thecooled beverage valve 154 based on the data transmitted from the liquidlevel sensor 177 to the controller 199. Specifically, in someembodiments the controller 199 may only open the cooled beverage valve154 when the temperature sensor 153 indicates that the cool temperaturethreshold has been reached and the liquid level sensor 177 indicatesthat the cool beverage reservoir 171 is sufficiently empty that it canhold all of the cooled beverage that is currently in the hot beveragecooling tank 161. This might be used to ensure overflow of the coolbeverage reservoir 171 is prevented. Of course, in other embodiments theliquid level sensor 177 may play no role in the opening and closing ofthe cooled beverage valve 154 and this may be accomplished solely basedon the cool threshold temperature being reached as discussed hereinabove.

In still other embodiments, the liquid level sensor 177 may indicate tothe controller 199 that the cool beverage reservoir 171 is empty so thatthe controller 199 can cause the “low coffee” indicator light on thecontrol panel 250 to illuminate. In some embodiments, this may be theonly purpose of the liquid level sensor 177 and it may play no role inthe opening and closing of the relevant valves as discussed herein.

In the exemplified embodiment, the beverage ice maker 172 comprises anevaporator plate that comprises a vertically mounted metal plateattached to a grid. The system may include refrigerant lines or the liketo remove heat from the beverage ice maker 172 to lower its temperatureto below freezing. The beverage ice maker 172 forms a grid with aplurality of cube openings, each of which will form a single ice cubeduring the ice making process described herein below.

In the exemplified embodiment, there is a closed fluid flow circuitformed between the cool beverage reservoir 171, the beverage ice maker172, and an excess beverage trough 178 positioned downstream of thebeverage ice maker 172. Specifically, to form ice from the cooledbeverage, the cooled beverage flows from the cool beverage reservoir 171out of the outlet 174 and then cascades over the beverage ice maker 172or evaporator. As the cooled beverage cascades over the beverage icemaker 172, some of the cooled beverage freezes into ice. The cooledbeverage that freezes into ice will adhere to the grid of the beverageice maker 172 within one of the cube openings. However, not all of thecooled beverage will freeze into ice in a single pass over the beverageice maker 172. The cooled beverage that does not freeze becomes excessbeverage that is caught in the excess beverage trough 178. The systemincludes a pump 179 to pump the excess beverage from the excess beveragetrough 178 back into the cool beverage reservoir 171, where the excessbeverage mixes with any cooled beverage in the cool beverage reservoir171 and does another pass over the beverage ice maker 172. This processcontinues until a sufficient amount of the cooled and excess beveragehas frozen to make beverage ice cubes 180 of a desired size. Thebeverage ice cubes 180 are formed by the beverage freezing layer bylayer as it cascades over the beverage ice maker 172. Once the beverageice cubes 180 are formed to a sufficient or desired size, the beverageice maker or evaporator plate 172 is heated to slightly melt thebeverage ice cubes 180 until they fall, by gravity, into the freezercompartment 173 (see FIG. 1) where they are accessible to a user asdescribed below. The freezing subsystem 170 may also include amechanical component to push the beverage ice cubes away from thebeverage ice maker or evaporator 172 to speed up this process ratherthan waiting for gravity to take the beverage ice cubes from thebeverage ice maker 172 to the freezer compartment 173.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 14, the second housing 300 may include a door301 that can be altered between a closed state (shown in FIG. 2) and anopen state (not shown). The door 301 may be coupled to the secondhousing 300 via a hinge, or it may be a slidable door such that it canbe slid relative to the second housing 300 to gain access into thefreezer compartment 173. When the door 301 is open, a passageway intothe freezer compartment 173 is created so that a user can reach into thefreezer compartment 173 to remove a desired amount of the beverage icecubes to add to an iced beverage. For example, to convert a hot coffeebeverage into an iced coffee beverage, a cup may be filled with thebeverage ice cubes (which are formed from hot coffee brewed in theintegrated apparatus 100 as described herein), and then a separatelybrewed hot coffee can be added to the cup. In this way, the beverage icecubes will convert the hot coffee into an iced coffee without anydilution, thereby maintaining the desired flavor of the coffee.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, complete operation of the integratedapparatus 100 will be described from filling the water tank 111 withwater to forming the beverage ice cubes 180. If the water supply inlet116 is not coupled to a water supply or water source, the first step isfor a user to pour water into the water tank 111 of the hot water supplysubsystem 110. If the water supply inlet 116 is coupled to a watersupply or water source, the first step is for the controller 199 toreceive data from the liquid level sensor 119 regarding the amount ofwater that is in the water tank 111 and to open/close the water supplyvalve 120 as needed to ensure that a sufficient or desired amount ofwater is transported into the water tank 111. In embodiments where thewater supply inlet 116 is coupled to a water supply, the water tank 111may always be full or being filled automatically due to communicationbetween the controller 199 and the liquid level sensor 119 and watersupply valve 120.

In one embodiment, upon the water tank 111 being filled with a desiredamount of the water (i.e., 64 ounces in one embodiment), the controller199 will activate the heating element(s) 112 to heat the water in thewater tank 111. The heating elements 112 will heat the water in thewater tank 111 to the hot threshold temperature. In some embodiments,the heating elements 112, by way of instructions received from thecontroller 199, are configured to maintain the water in the water tank111 at the hot threshold temperature so that it is prepared for brewingwhen a brewing activation signal is received by the controller 199, suchas by a user pressing a button or otherwise actuation the actuator 252on the control panel 250. Thus, in such embodiment the water in thewater tank 111 is heated to the hot threshold temperature so long as theintegrated apparatus 100 is powered on. In this embodiment, the waterwill remain heated in the water tank until the brewing activation signalis received by the controller 199. In accordance with this embodiment,once the brewing activation signal is received by the controller 199,controller 199 will check to make sure that the water has reached thehot threshold temperature and if so, the controller 199 willautomatically open the hot water valve 114 to enable the hot water toflow from the hot water supply subsystem 110 to the brewing subsystem130.

In an alternative embodiment, the water in the water tank 111 may not beheated until the brewing activation signal is received by the controller199. Specifically, in this alternative embodiment, the water will be atroom temperature in the water tank 111, and then a user will actuate theactuator 252 thereby sending the brewing activation signal to thecontroller 199. At this time, and not prior, the controller 199 willinstruct the heating elements 112 to power on and heat the water. Thiscan occur either within the water tank 111 if the heating element 112 iscoupled to the water within the water tank 111 or coupled to the watertank (FIG. 9) or external to the water tank 111 if the heating element112 is located along a conduit that is outside of the water tank 111(FIG. 10). In this embodiment, as soon as the water reaches the hotthreshold temperature, the controller 199 will open the hot water valve114 to enable the hot water to flow from the hot water supply subsystem110 to the brewing subsystem 130 because the brewing activation signalhas already been received.

Next, the hot water flows through the mixing apparatus 133 of thebrewing subsystem 130, which is prefilled with the filler 134 and theadditive 135. Specifically, the hot water will flow through thedispenser 144 and out of the dispenser nozzle(s) into the mixingapparatus 133 which is a container or coffee basket or the like. Withinthe mixing apparatus 133, the hot water will mix with the additive 135,flow through the additive 135 and the filter 134, and then flow outthrough the opening 138 in the bottom surface of the mixing apparatus133 as a hot beverage. In one embodiment, the additive 135 may be groundcoffee beans and the hot beverage may be hot coffee as described herein.The flow of the hot water into and through the brewing subsystem 130 isnot impeded by any valves. Rather, the hot water will flow through thebrewing subsystem 130 from the hot water inlet 131 to the hot beverageoutlet 132 unimpeded by valves or other mechanisms to stop the flow ofthe liquid. The hot beverage will flow from the hot beverage outlet 132,through the hot beverage inlet 151 and into the heat exchanger 160 ofthe cooling subsystem 150. Thus, once the valve 124 of the hot watersupply subsystem 110 is opened, flow of the liquid/water from the watertank 111 to the cooling subsystem 150 occurs via gravity without anyvalves impeding flow.

Once the controller 199 detects that the hot beverage has entered intothe hot beverage cooling tank 161 of the heat exchanger 160, thecontroller 199 will activate the air flow generator 152 so that it willbegin to stream air (i.e., the air flow stream 159) over and across theheat exchanger 160. In some embodiments, the controller 199 will be madeaware of the existence of the hot beverage in the hot beverage coolingtank 161 based on signals sent from a liquid level sensor located in thehot beverage cooling tank 161. However, the invention is not to be solimited and the controller 199 may use other mechanisms for determiningwhether the hot beverage is present in the hot beverage cooling tank161, including a mass or weight sensor, a temperature sensor, any sensorthat may detect the presence or absence of liquid, or any other sensorthat may be used to inform the controller 199 of the existence of thehot beverage in the hot beverage cooling tank 161.

Although described herein that the controller 199 only activates the airflow generator 152 when the hot beverage is detected in the hot beveragecooling tank 161, the invention is not to be so limited and in otherembodiments the air flow generator 152 may always be activated so longas the integrated apparatus 100 is powered on. In other embodiments, theair flow generator 152 may operate on a cycle independent of the brewingcycles such that the air flow generator activates for five, ten,fifteen, twenty, or the like minutes and then deactivates for five, ten,fifteen, twenty, or the like minutes. Thus, the air flow generator 152operation may be controlled by the controller 199, it may be preset andoperate independently from the controller 199 in accordance with apredetermined schedule, or it may do some combination of the two.

While the hot beverage is stationary within the hot beverage coolingtank 161, the hot beverage cools over time due to the heat from the hotbeverage transferring into the hot beverage cooling tank 161 and fromthere into the ambient environment. This transfer of heat from the hotbeverage to the het beverage cooling tank 161 occurs as a result of heatconduction (when two objects having different temperatures are incontact, heat flows from a hotter material to a cooler material untilthey are in thermal equilibrium). As noted herein, the hot beverage doesnot move during this cooling process, but rather remains in a non-movingstationary position within the hot beverage cooling tank 161 with theair stream 159 generated by the air flow generator 152 flowing over thehot beverage cooling tank 161.

While the hot beverage is in the hot beverage cooling tank 161, thesecond temperature sensor 163 continually monitors the temperature ofthe hot beverage in the hot beverage cooling tank 161 and transmits thetemperature readings to the controller 199. Upon the second temperaturesensor 163 detecting that the hot beverage has cooled to the cooltemperature threshold (in some embodiments approximately roomtemperature, although exemplary and non-limiting temperature ranges forthe cool temperature threshold are provided herein above), the secondtemperature sensor 163 transmits this information to the controller 199.Then, the controller 199 opens the cooled beverage valve 154 to allowthe cooled beverage to flow from the hot beverage cooling tank 161 ofthe cooling subsystem 150 into the cool beverage reservoir 171 of thefreezing subsystem 170.

In some embodiments, once in the cool beverage reservoir 171 of thefreezing subsystem 170, the cooled beverage will immediately passthrough the outlet 176 in the floor 174 of the cool beverage reservoir171 so that it can cascade over the beverage ice maker 172 as discussedabove. In other embodiments, the controller 199 may control flow of thecooled beverage from the cool beverage reservoir 171 using a valvesystem as discussed above. The cooled beverage continues to flow overthe beverage ice maker 172 with the excess cooled beverage being caughtby the excess beverage trough 178 and pumped back to the cool beveragereservoir 171 as described above. Once a sufficient amount of the liquidhas frozen, the beverage ice cubes 180 are removed from the beverage icemaker 172 and transported to the freezer compartment 173 where they canbe accessed by a user via the door 301 in the second housing 300 of theintegrated apparatus 100.

In one embodiment, the entire process from filling the water tank 111with water to forming beverage ice cubes may be automated and may occurwithout any user intervention required. Specifically, the controller 199may be configured to automatically start a brewing cycle upon receivinga signal that the freezer compartment 173 is low on beverage ice cubes.Specifically, in such embodiment a sensor in the freezer compartment 173will inform the processor 199 that the freezer compartment 173 is low onbeverage ice cubes, and in response the controller 199 will cause waterto be filled into the water tank 111 (via the water supply inlet 116)and will then begin opening and closing valves as heating and coolingrequirements of the water and beverage formed therefrom are met as setforth herein. In such an embodiment, the only action that might berequired by a user is to ensure that a fresh batch of the additive islocated within the mixing apparatus 133, although this part of theprocess could also be automated in some embodiments.

Thus, using the integrated apparatus, a liquid such as water may beheated, mixed with an additive to convert it to a hot beverage, cooled,and then turned to ice. This entire process, possibly excluding the iceformation process, may occur solely via gravity without the use of anypumps. Furthermore, this entire process may occur automatically simplyby a user pressing a button or otherwise actuating the actuator 252 tosend a brewing activation signal to the controller 199. There is aminimum of user interaction required for the entire process of providingwater, brewing coffee from the water, and then turning that brewedcoffee into ice cubes. This ensures that beverage or coffee ice cubesare always available within the integrated apparatus 100 and ready foraddition to a drink to create an iced beverage without the typicaldilution caused by standard water ice cubes.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural andfunctional modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the inventionshould be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

1. An integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage, theintegrated apparatus comprising: a hot water supply subsystem configuredto heat water to form hot water; a brewing subsystem configured toreceive and mix the hot water generated by the hot water supplysubsystem with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage; a coolingsubsystem configured to receive the hot beverage generated by thebrewing sub-system, cool the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage, anddischarge the cooled beverage to a cool beverage reservoir of a freezingsubsystem; and wherein liquid flow of the hot water, the hot beverage,and the cooled beverage along a primary beverage processing flow pathfrom the hot water supply subsystem to the cool beverage reservoir ofthe freezing system is gravity driven.
 2. The integrated apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is free of pumps that forceliquid flow from the hot water supply subsystem to the cool beveragereservoir.
 3. The integrated apparatus according to claim 1 furthercomprising: the freezing subsystem configured to: (1) freeze the cooledbeverage to form a frozen beverage; and (2) discharge the frozenbeverage as a plurality of frozen beverage cubes.
 4. The integratedapparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: a first housing; thehot water supply subsystem, the brewing subsystem, and the coolingsubsystem located within the first housing.
 5. The integrated apparatusaccording to claim 4 further comprising: a second housing, the firsthousing positioned atop the second housing; the cool beverage reservoirof the freezing subsystem located within the second housing, the secondhousing comprising a freezer compartment.
 5. The integrated apparatusaccording to claim 1 further comprising: a controller; the hot watersupply subsystem comprising: a water tank configured to hold the water;one or more heating elements configured to heat the water; a firsttemperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured tosense temperature of the water; a hot water valve operably coupled tothe controller, the controller configured to open the hot water valveupon detecting that the temperature of the water measured by thetemperature sensor is at or above a hot threshold temperature; and a hotwater outlet downstream of the hot water valve; and the coolingsubsystem comprising: a hot beverage inlet that receives the hotbeverage from the brewing sub-system; a heat exchanger comprising a hotbeverage cooling tank and a plurality of heat dissipating elements onthe hot beverage cooling tank; an air flow generator configured togenerate an air flow stream across the heat exchanger; a secondtemperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured tosense temperature of the hot beverage within the hot beverage coolingtank; and a cooled beverage valve operably coupled to the controller,the controller configured to open the cooled beverage valve upondetecting that the temperature of the hot beverage measured by thetemperature sensor is at or below a cool threshold temperature; and acooled beverage outlet downstream of the cooled beverage valve.
 7. Theintegrated apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the brewing subsystemcomprises: a hot water inlet fluidly coupled to the hot water outlet ofthe hot water supply subsystem; a mixing apparatus positioned to receivethe hot water from the hot water inlet; and a hot beverage outletlocated downstream of the mixing apparatus. 8.-10. (canceled)
 11. Amethod of brewing and cooling a beverage comprising: a) heating water ina first portion of a beverage processing flow path to form hot water; b)gravity flowing the hot water generated in the first portion of thebeverage processing flow path through a second portion of the beverageprocessing flow path, and introducing an additive into the hot waterwhile the hot water is flowing through the second portion of thebeverage processing flow path, thereby forming a hot beverage; c)gravity flowing the hot beverage from the second portion of the beverageprocessing flow path into a third portion of the beverage processingflow path, and cooling the hot beverage while in the third portion ofthe beverage processing flow path, thereby forming a cooled beverage;and d) gravity flowing the cooled beverage from the third portion of thebeverage processing flow path into a freezing subsystem.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 11 wherein the third portion of the beverageprocessing flow path includes a heat exchange chamber of a heatexchanger; and wherein step c) comprises generating a flow of coolingair across the heat exchanger.
 13. The method according to claim 11wherein step a) further comprises: a1) measuring temperature of thewater in the first portion of the beverage processing flow path using afirst temperature sensor that is operably coupled to a controller; anda2) upon the temperature of the water being measured to be at or above ahot threshold temperature, the controller opening a hot water valve thatallows the hot water to gravity flow to the second portion of thebeverage processing flow path.
 14. The method according to claim 11wherein during said cooling of step c), the hot beverage is stationarywithin the third portion of the beverage processing flow path.
 15. Themethod according to claim 11 wherein step c) further comprises: c1)measuring temperature of the hot beverage in the third portion of thebeverage processing flow path using a second temperature sensor that isoperably coupled to a controller; and c2) upon the temperature of thehot beverage being measured to be at or below a cool thresholdtemperature, the controller opening a cooled beverage valve that allowsthe cooled beverage to gravity flow to the freezing subsystem. 16.(canceled)
 17. An integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling abeverage, the integrated apparatus comprising: a hot water supplysubsystem configured to heat water to form hot water; a brewingsubsystem configured to receive and mix the hot water generated by thehot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive to form a hotbeverage; a heat exchanger configured to receive the hot beveragegenerated by the brewing sub-system and cool the hot beverage to form acooled beverage; and an air flow generator configured to generate acooling air flow across the outer surfaces of the heat exchanger. 18.The integrated apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising afreezing subsystem configured to freeze the cooled beverage subsequentto exiting the heat exchanger.
 19. The integrated apparatus according toclaim 18 further comprising: a first housing; the hot water supplysubsystem, the brewing subsystem, the heat exchanger, and the air flowgenerator located within the housing; a second housing, the firsthousing positioned atop the second housing; and the freezing subsystemlocated within the second housing.
 20. The integrated apparatusaccording to claim 19 wherein the brewing subsystem comprises a brewingchamber; and wherein the first housing comprises a window in anupstanding wall of the housing that forms a passageway into the brewingchamber; and wherein the brewing subsystem comprises a dispensingnozzle, a coffee basket, and a filter.
 21. (canceled)
 22. The integratedapparatus according to claim 17 further comprising: a first housing; andthe heat exchanger and the air flow generator located within the firsthousing in alignment with one or more inlet vents formed in a firstupstanding wall of the first housing and one or more outlet vents in asecond upstanding wall of the first housing.
 23. The integratedapparatus according to claim 22 wherein the heat exchanger is locatedbelow each of the hot water supply subsystem and the brewing subsystem.24. The integrated apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the heatexchanger comprises a hot beverage cooling tank and a plurality of heatdissipating elements on the hot beverage cooling tank.
 25. Theintegrated apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the plurality of heatdissipating elements comprises a first set of fins located on a firstsurface of the hot beverage cooling tank and a second set of finslocated on a second surface of the hot beverage cooling tank that isopposite the first surface. 26.-28. (canceled)